Put a Little Pepper in It
by theicemenace
Summary: When an emergency arises and Iron Man's nowhere to be found, someone no one ever suspected steps up to the plate. Note: Remember. You read it here first!


**A/N: **It's strange, I know, but the idea for this one-shot (maybe two) came to me when I read Chapter 21 - The Bodyguard by Qweb. Thanks a bunch. Also, thanks so much to ladygris for the Beta.

~Sandy

**Avengers**

**Put a Little Pepper in It**

Leaving the lights off as she entered the penthouse suite she shared with Tony, Pepper kicked her heels into a corner as she removed her jewelry and watch. Her clothes were tossed into the laundry basket on the way into the bathroom to start the water running in the tub. She poured in a generous amount of her favorite bubble bath and sank into the water before the tub was even full.

An hour later, she wandered out into the common area and had just poured a small amount of scotch into a crystal glass when she heard staccato sound of a helicopter coming close. With a grin, she went to the balcony to wait for Tony to come down from the helipad. After five minutes of no Tony, she said, "JARVIS, connect me to Tony's comm, please."

"_My apologies, Ms. Potts, but Mr. Stark has sequestered himself in the lab with strict orders not to be disturbed._"

"But I just heard his helicopter."

"_That was a hospital helicopter, madam._" The AI paused as if listening. "_And I do believe they are experiencing a mechanical failure in the tail rotor._"

Realizing she'd left her phone in the bedroom, Pepper shouted, "Call 9-1-1! And tell them to use our helipad."

"_I've already done so. However, the problems they are experiencing will make a landing on the roof impossible as they must maintain forward momentum. Not to mention their passenger is being rushed to Memorial Hospital with critical injuries. If they were to crash_…"

Waving to stop the AI from going on, Pepper began to panic. "What-what about Thor or-or…"

"_There is no one available at this time. Dr. Banner is in with Mr. Stark and they are not responding to my inquiries_."

Taking a breath to calm herself, Pepper tried to think what do. She couldn't let the people in be hurt or killed, but she had no idea…or did she. Running to the bar, she opened drawer after drawer searching frantically. "Where are they? Where are they?" In the last drawer, she found what she was looking for. Taking the matching set of bracelets, she slipped one on each hand as she returned to the balcony. "Okay. So, uh, how does this work, JARVIS? Do I just stand here and wait for the suit or…"

"_Unfortunately, you will have to be in motion for the MARK VIII to engage._"

A loud gasp was forced out of Pepper as the implications of JARVIS' statement hit her. "In motion? You mean I have to _jump?!_"

"_Yes, madam. I'm afraid so_."

Taking a deep breath, the CEO of Stark International tried to calm her rapidly beating heart. "Okay. I, uh, I can do this." She ran out to the edge of the ramp, peeked over the edge and moaned. "Uh…"

"_Please hurry, madam. They are quickly losing altitude_."

That was all she needed to motivate her. Pepper backed up to the door and ran forward shouting, "Deploy!" just as she jumped over the side.

The wind pulled at her clothes and made her eyes tear up from the speed with which she was falling. Above her, she heard the distinctive sound of the Iron Man suit rocketing out of its hangar and following her down. Beeps and the hum of the suit opening up comforted her as she continued to fall. A scream was ripped from her throat as the suit wrapped around her like an old friend encasing her in its protective cocoon, the helmet covering her face and the HUD already activated. "How do I start it?"

"_Allow me, madam._"

The repulsors engaged and Pepper's descent slowed until she was hovering two hundred feet above the ground. Another gasp pushed out of her lungs at the abrupt stop though she barely felt it. "Thanks. Now what?"

"_I will instruct you on its use._"

And over the next few minutes, JARVIS gave her a quick tutorial in how to use the suit. At first, she weaved all through the air, unable to keep in a straight line, but bit by bit, her flight path evened out until she was able to stop the stomach churning flips. "Hey, this is actually a lot of fun. No wonder Tony likes it so much."

"_Of course, Ms. Potts. However, the urgency of the situation requires immediate intervention as the helicopter is about to impact the World Trade Center._"

"Oh, _crap!_" Holding her hands down at her side, Pepper flew toward the newly constructed building that replaced the Twin Towers destroyed in the September 11 attacks. When she got closer, she could see the helicopter waggling side to side as the pilot desperately tried to stay airborne. "So the best way to do this is to, um, get underneath, lift and keep flying?"

"_Yes, madam. I will provide instruction along the way, should you need them._"

Gritting her teeth, Pepper flew under the aircraft, her hands reaching out to grab the underside. The repulsors in the feet pushed at the ground lifting both Pepper and the helicopter into the air. "Patch me through to the pilot. No wait! _You_ talk to the pilot. Tell them to relax and enjoy the ride."

"_As you wish._"

With an impish grin, Pepper listened to JARVIS advise the pilot that Iron Man was on the job and that they'd be landing at Memorial Hospital in just a few minutes. "And JARVIS? Play_ Shoot to Thrill." _The speakers blasted the AC/DC song into the air making Pepper laugh. "Haha! _Whoa!_"

The hospital came into sight and rather than try to land on the roof, she chose the nearly empty parking lot. JARVIS had given the hospital staff a head-up and they were waiting on the ground looking up into the sky and pointing as they came into sight.

When her feet touched the ground, she carefully lowered the helicopter and set it gently on the asphalt. The pilot and medics spilled out nodding thanks as they removed their patient from the back onto the stretcher pulled by the hospital staff.

They waved and shouted, "Thanks, Iron Man!" And not wanting them to know that it wasn't Tony in the suit, Pepper just touched the fingers of her right hand to her forehead in a quick salute then took off once more.

"_Whoa!_ THIS…IS…AMAZING! Tony didn't tell me it was so much _fun!_" On the way back to Stark Tower, she experimented in flight with loops and stomach dropping free falls until JARVIS calmly informed her that Tony was on his way up from the lab. Pepper shouted "Wah-HOOOOO!"

She did one last dizzying horizontal spin then made a perfect two-point landing on the ramp. As she'd seen Tony do on several occasions, she walked at a steady pace as the robotic arms removed the suit. "Not a _word_ about this to Tony."

"_Yes, Ms. Potts._"

Just as she reached the bar, the elevator opened and Tony joined her. He gave her a lingering kiss then together they sat side by side on the sofa. Sipping the scotch, Tony watched her contemplatively. "What've you been up to?"

As innocently as she could manage, Pepper replied, "What makes you think I've been up to anything?"

Waving a finger in a circle, he said, "You have that gleam in your eye. The one you get just before…"

Pepper took Tony's glass and set it on the table then took his hand and pulled him toward their suite. When the door closed, she gathered him into her arms and kissed him. "Now what were you saying?"

With a grin, Tony walked her backward until the mattress hit the backs of her legs. "Never mind."

Pepper wrapped her hands around Tony's neck and tumbled them onto the bed.

**The End?**


End file.
